In what can only be described as saddening news, legendary actor Ron Ely has passed away at the age of 86. The announcement came from his daughter Kirsten Casale Ely, who told The Associated Press that he died on September 29 at his home in Los Alamos, California.
Ely was best known for portraying Tarzan in the NBC TV series, which ran for three seasons between 1966 and 1968. A time when action-packed TV shows based on classic characters were big commodities for network television (See: Batman), Tarzan maintained many of the elements that were popular with the source material, but it is particularly notable for not featuring Jane. It's also notable for the fact that Ely did the majority of his own stunts (and suffered some injuries as a result of that).
Lynda Carter, who worked with Ely on both Wonder Woman and Hawkeye, led led the tributes to him on social media, calling him a wonderful man and thanking him for "sharing his kindness and talent". Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies and voiced The Joker in various Batman properties, also reacted to the sad news with a heartbreak icon.
Although Ely's time as Tarzan is well-documented, he also portrayed another iconic character during his career, taking on the role of a veteran Superman in Superboy. We wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that underrated and nuanced performance he delivered in the show.
Remembering Ron Ely's underrated performance as a veteran Superman
Appearing in the season 3 episode of Superboy "The Road To Hell", Ron Ely played an older, alternate version of the Man of Steel who had retired from crime-fighting. He also formed a bond with infamous nemesis Lex Luthor, who credits Superman with having changed his life.
When Superboy is injured, Superman is called into action to save his life. He's the only one that can do it as he has the same blood as his younger counterpart, and he's able to withdraw some of it by wounding himself with his own heat vision.
There's a reserved charm in Ely's performance that honors the Man of Steel so well. His characterization was perfect, as he painted a wonderful picture of a Superman who is at peace with his decision to retire; one that trusts the next generation of people and heroes to carry the torch. Sure, this is a Superman who would have gone back to heroics if he had to, but he has faith in those that have come after him to carry on that legacy.
Ely approached the role with warmth and wisdom, capturing the essence of a veteran Superman with ease. The performance transcended the limitations of Superboy - a lower-budget superhero TV show in the '80s and '90s - and actually deserves more appreciation.
There aren't a lot of older, veteran Superman stories out there in live-action (or even animation), so Ron Ely's should be seen as a measuring stick. He set an incredibly high standard worthy of the big screen. Although Superboy didn't have the visibility of other Superman TV shows like Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, and today's Superman and Lois, it had plenty of quality moments: Ely's performance, however, is at the very top of that list.
A truly great Superman performance from a truly great actor. May he rest in peace.